Like most Sox fans, I am assuming we will add some outfield help and it will ultimately improve our outfield defense. But what about the infield. As it stands right now, I think it is a major step up offensively. But would Lawrie, Saladino and Frazier be worse than Alexei, Saladino and Sanchez defensively?? If so then it would seem Hahn would have to improve the outfield to somewhat offset it.

Sabermetrics aside:

2B: Lawrie

SS: Saladino > Ramirez

3B: Frazier

 

However, overall, I do think the IF defense will be improved. Frazier and Saladino are above average, and Lawrie may be decent with a full season at 2B.

Sabermetrics aside:

2B: Lawrie

SS: Saladino > Ramirez

3B: Frazier

 

However, overall, I do think the IF defense will be improved. Frazier and Saladino are above average, and Lawrie may be decent with a full season at 2B.

 

3B was a lot of Mike Olt, too, though.

Still feel the team is better with Sanchez at 2B and should of gotten an upgrade (even slight) at SS, but we'll see how Lawrie does with the glove. He should at least be better with the bat.

3B was a lot of Mike Olt, too, though.

 

Sox games started at 3B according to BBreference.

 

Saladino 53

Gillaspie 50

Beckham 39

Olt 20

Sabermetrics aside:

2B: Lawrie

SS: Saladino > Ramirez

3B: Frazier

 

However, overall, I do think the IF defense will be improved. Frazier and Saladino are above average, and Lawrie may be decent with a full season at 2B.

 

Not sure I have seen enough of Saladino at SS to say that he will be better there than Ramirez was. Ramirez was streaky on defense, sometimes he would make some poor plays but other times he was as good of defender as there was at SS. He has lost a step with his range, but I am not sure Saladino ever had that step to lose.

One thing that really killed the Sox last year was the defense at the beginning with Gillaspie, Alexei being horrid the first couple of months, Micah, and Abreu being lost initially.

 

Opening Day to Opening Day, it should be much better. The Sox did a great job of fixing the infield defense on the fly last year with Saladino, Sanchez and Alexei getting his head on straight, to the point where no one really could complain about the infield defense the second half of the season. It was pretty stellar.

I think the Sox infield defense will be greatly improved this season. Left side of the field looks pretty lockdown in my opinion, I bet Lawrie will play a more than adequate 2B, and I think a better left side will help Abreu be a better 1B (better throws).

Sox games started at 3B according to BBreference.

 

Saladino 53

Gillaspie 50

Beckham 39

Olt 20

 

Meh, Gillaspie = Olt too.

 

"Olt" isn't a player -- "Olt" is an archetype

So, it looks like we'll be very improved for 80 games from last year. HOpefully whomever we get in RF is actually a marked improvement (i.e. no fowler please). The benefit to our pitching staff is worth more than the offense.

Meh, Gillaspie = Olt too.

 

"Olt" isn't a player -- "Olt" is an archetype

 

Yeah, to me it looks like we had really good defenders there for half the year, and really bad ones for the other half. With Frazier, we get a solid defender there all year. I'd call it a slight upgrade on the whole defensively. Now offensively, that is a different story.

 

It depends on who is hitting and if there is anyone on base.

So nobody has really answered the question. How will this infield defense rank in our own division in terms of first through fifth? Personally isn't it a big question mark? Abreu is not known for his defense; isn't Lawrie basically below average? Saladino is a total question mark and Frazier is average at best??

I'm not flaming, just asking. To me it seems the infield defense is a huge question mark.

So nobody has really answered the question. How will this infield defense rank in our own division in terms of first through fifth? Personally isn't it a big question mark? Abreu is not known for his defense; isn't Lawrie basically below average? Saladino is a total question mark and Frazier is average at best??

I'm not flaming, just asking. To me it seems the infield defense is a huge question mark.

There's definitely some question marks until we see everyone on the field.

 

Abreu: all we can do is hope he can continue to get better and I think he will. I think having a solid 3B in Frazier will help Abreu's defense. Poor Abreu has had a few bad third baseman to handle throws from. Gillaspie, I'm looking at you!

 

Lawrie: was an above average 3B in Toronto before his injuries. Oakland bounced him around the field so he never had a chance to solidify himself in one position. Watched him make a few nice plays at 2B for Oakland and seems to have enough quickness and range for the position with a much stronger arm than what we've seen from Sanchez. I think he will be fine since he will have a chance to settle in at 2B with the Sox.

 

Saladino: SS is his natural position. Supposed to have good range and we all know he has the arm strength. I honestly believe Saladino will be a defensive upgrade over Alexei.

 

Frazier: great range but for whatever reason his fielding and throwing errors were up last season. Maybe a by-product of playing for a s***ty Reds team that became sellers? Who knows. Still an upgrade over what we've seen from third baseman for the last.... well,too many years. Lol.

 

I think that overall the infield defense will be much better. What really concerns me is the outfield defense. That's what we should really be talking about. Uhg!

Edited January 22, 201610 yr by BlackSox13

There's definitely some question marks until we see everyone on the field.

 

Abreu: all we can do is hope he can continue to get better and I think he will. I think having a solid 3B in Frazier will help Abreu's defense. Poor Abreu has had a few bad third baseman to handle throws from. Gillaspie, I'm looking at you!

 

Lawrie: was an above average 3B in Toronto before his injuries. Oakland bounced him around the field so he never had a chance to solidify himself in one position. Watched him make a few nice plays at 2B for Oakland and seems to have enough quickness and range for the position with a much stronger arm than what we've seen from Sanchez. I think he will be fine since he will have a chance to settle in at 2B with the Sox.

 

Saladino: SS is his natural position. Supposed to have good range and we all know he has the arm strength. I honestly believe Saladino will be a defensive upgrade over Alexei.

 

Frazier: great range but for whatever reason his fielding and throwing errors were up last season. Maybe a by-product of playing for a s***ty Reds team that became sellers? Who knows. Still an upgrade over what we've seen from third baseman for the last.... well,too many years. Lol.

 

I think that overall the infield defense will be much better. What really concerns me is the outfield defense. That's what we should really be talking about. Uhg!

 

a great breakdown by position and players.

 

i really think it starts and ends with the SS Saladino defense will hold the whole infield together.... and from that there will be a ripple effect with everyone stepping up.

 

alot can be said for starting with 3b, the hot corner and i will not disagree, but i think it is the SS.

Have you seen this?:

 

http://m.mlb.com/cutfour/2015/12/09/159247...mp-to-instagram

 

If Lawrie keeps this up, he's likely to spend considerable time on the DL. Sanchez may see more playing time than we think.

Look, I'm very impressed, but that kind of workout is very dangerous. He's jumping toward a hard wall, on a very flimsy stack, and from a hard floor. He really should have some spotters close by, at the very least.

Infield D should be good with 2 improving young players plus 2 vets. I thin Sanchez will hit although I don't know where. Re signing Alexei would have been daft.

Have you seen this?:

 

http://m.mlb.com/cutfour/2015/12/09/159247...mp-to-instagram

 

If Lawrie keeps this up, he's likely to spend considerable time on the DL. Sanchez may see more playing time than we think.

Look, I'm very impressed, but that kind of workout is very dangerous. He's jumping toward a hard wall, on a very flimsy stack, and from a hard floor. He really should have some spotters close by, at the very least.

Too much being made of nothing. Alot of players have intense workouts, just that most of them don't post it up on social media. Weight training has caused more injuries than one could shake a stick at and yet players still weight train. Injuries happen, just ask Chris Sale's foot.